Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer version of electronic cash that allows payments to be sent directly from one party to another without going through a financial institution. The network timestamps transactions by hashing them into an ongoing chain of hash-based proof-of-work, forming a record that cannot be changed without redoing the proof-of-work. – Satoshi Nakamoto

Bitcoin trading really is not much different to any other asset you can trade - maybe just a bit more volatile, but that is a good thing if you want to trade it! You will have to devide whether or not to trade the asset (bitcoin) itself or some derivative (financial “bet”). I recommend the latter as it allows you to participate in both bull and bear markets. If you simply buy the asset (Bitcoin) you can only participate in rising prices. The derivative also allows you to leverage your position. Having that said : LEVERAGE IS A DOUBLE SIDED SWORD! Whenever you trade with leverage make sure you are mentally ready to lose everything that is on your trading account (in other words: make sure not to put too much money on your trading account). Moreover, do not trade something you do not understand!
The idea of not needing a third-party exchange can admittedly be a tempting one, especially if you're worried about how secure they are. But direct trades come with plenty of risks, too. By putting you directly in contact with the buyer, they leave the method of trading up to you, including potential in-person exchanges, which are incredibly risky to do with a stranger. Some of these methods can also be annoying, frustrating and more time-consuming than preferred, and if a buyer is unreliable, it can take even longer should you end up successfully selling them at all.
If you want to make money day trading bitcoin you’ll need to get familiar with candlesticks and their indicators (see example below). It isn’t uncommon for bitcoin to fall into a repetitive trend for months on end. If three of the last four candlesticks have been red, then there’s a good chance it’s going to carry on heading that way, unless the RSI suggests it’s been seriously oversold.
In September 2015, the establishment of the peer-reviewed academic journal Ledger (ISSN 2379-5980) was announced. It covers studies of cryptocurrencies and related technologies, and is published by the University of Pittsburgh.[240] The journal encourages authors to digitally sign a file hash of submitted papers, which will then be timestamped into the bitcoin blockchain. Authors are also asked to include a personal bitcoin address in the first page of their papers.[241][242]
First, here is an example of how a standard forex trade works. Imagine you are an American trader betting on the British pound/U.S. dollar currency pair (GBP/USD). You deposit $100 with your forex broker. Assuming the rate of $1 = £0.5, you will receive £50 for your $100. If the GBP/USD rate changes to 0.45, you close the position to 50/0.45 = $111.11. That is, you make a 11.11% profit over your initial $100 deposit.
Bitcoin offers benefits to merchants as well, as transactions that involve the digital currency are secure and irreversible. Without the risk of fraud or fraudulent chargebacks, merchants can offer their products at a discount thereby generating more sales or pocket the difference themselves. In addition, with card processors out of the picture, merchants can save on the percentage cut taken by Visa / MasterCard.
Decentralized cryptocurrency is produced by the entire cryptocurrency system collectively, at a rate which is defined when the system is created and which is publicly known. In centralized banking and economic systems such as the Federal Reserve System, corporate boards or governments control the supply of currency by printing units of fiat money or demanding additions to digital banking ledgers. In case of decentralized cryptocurrency, companies or governments cannot produce new units, and have not so far provided backing for other firms, banks or corporate entities which hold asset value measured in it. The underlying technical system upon which decentralized cryptocurrencies are based was created by the group or individual known as Satoshi Nakamoto.[23]
Long term traders are usually involved in studying price trends over long periods of time. This informs their decision to buy and hold Bitcoin also over long periods with the hope of taking profit at a price higher than their original entry point. With Bitcoin still in its developmental stages, a lot of users suggest that this is a good time to buy.
Please note that virtual currency is a digital representation of value that functions as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, or a store of value, but it does not have legal tender status. Virtual currencies are sometimes exchanged for U.S. dollars or other currencies around the world, but they are not currently backed nor supported by any government or central bank. Their value is completely derived by market forces of supply and demand, and they are more volatile than traditional fiat currencies. Profits and losses related to this volatility are amplified in margined futures contracts.

Trading requires daily technical analysis and a sound understanding of trading platforms. I wouldn't recommend this unless you're experienced with eToro or an MT4 platform. That said, there are benefits to bitcoin trading. It gives you the option to quickly scale in and out of positions, and take profits at a desired price. When you trade bitcoin, you can take advantage of daily fluctuations in price. The CFD brokers used for trading are regulated, and your funds are arguably more secure than at an exchange like Coinbase. You will be charged spread (fee) on each trade, but you can execute a buy or sell order quicker. The biggest benefit to trading bitcoin is the limit - it's far easier to open a $100,000 position at a CFD broker than go through stringent checks and buy an equivalent amount on Coinbase.

Changelly, the cryptocurrency exchange with over 700,000 customers on board aims to eliminate the technical barriers of traditional trading platforms by using an automatic trading robot that integrates Bittrex, Poloniex, and other leading trading platforms. Basically, it allows traders to trade virtual currency without needing verification or registering at any cryptocurrency exchange. Changelly asks exchanges to suggest the best rates available on trading pairs and operates by making bids. It processes more than 50,000 BTC on a monthly basis and offers seamless and instant conversion of 80+ tokens and altcoins. Changelly make how to buy cryptocurrencies easy.
Bitstamp has largely avoided the deposit and withdrawal problems that plague many bitcoin exchanges. With a lack of regulation on the upcoming virtual currency and its checkered past, many financial institutions remain reluctant to get involved with processing bitcoin related transactions. You can deposit funds in USD, EUR, GBP and CHF. US clients are accepted.

The receiver of the first bitcoin transaction was cypherpunk Hal Finney, who created the first reusable proof-of-work system (RPOW) in 2004.[22] Finney downloaded the bitcoin software on its release date, and on 12 January 2009 received ten bitcoins from Nakamoto.[23][24] Other early cypherpunk supporters were creators of bitcoin predecessors: Wei Dai, creator of b-money, and Nick Szabo, creator of bit gold.[25] In 2010, the first known commercial transaction using bitcoin occurred when programmer Laszlo Hanyecz bought two Papa John's pizzas for 10,000 bitcoin.[26]